A traffic profile is a graph of network traffic based on connection data collected over a profiling time window (PTW). This measurement presumably represents normal network traffic. After the learning period, you can detect abnormal network traffic by evaluating new traffic against your profile. You can also set up inactive periods in traffic profile to exclude data that does not reflect normal network behavior. You can use traffic profiles to write correlation rules that trigger when the traffic deviates from the profile by a certain threshold or standard deviation. This way, you can identify and respond to potential attacks or security policy violations that cause traffic anomalies. References := Some possible references are:
* Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.0 - Traffic Profiling
* Cisco Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS)
* Which statement describes a traffic profile on a Cisco Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System?